


Do You Sleep Anymore?

by snaeken



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, M/M, Nightmares, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 22:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14145825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snaeken/pseuds/snaeken
Summary: The healing powers of werewolves, Theo discovers, do not extend to ailments of the mind.





	Do You Sleep Anymore?

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first Thiam fic I ever started writing, and I'm so glad I've finally finished it.
> 
> I think I've covered the stuff that needs warnings, but let me know if there's anything else you think I should tag.

 

The thing is, Theo knows he deserves it.

He knows he deserved every pain-staking second he spent in Hell, and he knows he deserves many, many more.

His body is begging him for sleep. It might be cowardly, but Theo will deny himself what he so desperately needs for as long as he can. Because every time he allows himself to fall for the false promises of a restful sleep, he dreams that he’s back there. The hospital. Being hunted again and again and again by his sister, Tara.

Once he gets out of that drawer, it’s a game of cat and mouse. Sometimes she kills him quickly; sometimes she draws it out, makes him work for it. He runs through the deserted hallways of the hospital, looking for a way out. It normally only takes a few turns for her to appear, silently taunting him from the end of the hall. It doesn’t matter how many times he changes direction. She always manages to get ahead of him.

Every now and then, Theo makes a turn and Tara isn’t there, and a treacherous hope blooms in his chest for a moment.

But no matter what, it always ends the same: standing face to face with Tara, silent but for the water dripping from her sodden clothes and hair, as she rips out his – her – heart. The echo of his cracking chest chases him back into the locked drawer. And the cycle repeats.

Theo doesn’t know how many times he dies when he’s asleep. But he wakes bolt upright, a hand clutched to his chest, a scream halfway up his throat. He doesn’t know if he’s actually ever screamed. Even if he did, nobody would be around to hear it.

 

Theo can feel himself crashing. He’s been awake for nearly two days already, but he can’t face dying again yet. And that’s how he ends up at the 24-hour Starbucks at three in the morning, ordering ‘whatever drink has the most caffeine. With extra caffeine.’

The place is unsurprisingly empty. He’s not sure if the barista is judging him, or if he just looks as dead inside as Theo feels.

The lights start to dim as he waits for his drink. Subtly at first, then all of a sudden it’s dark. He can hear a drip, drip, drip coming from behind him, and he doesn’t need to see her to know that she’s there.

He turns around and he’s standing face to face with Tara. She’s holding a Starbucks cup in one hand – straw, but no lid. Before he has a chance to prepare himself, his chest is cracked open and Tara’s holding his – her – heart.

This time, instead of crumpling to the ground, he stands and watches in open-mouthed shock as Tara drops the heart into the cup. She brings the straw to her lips, and the liquid comes up red – Theo can see chunks of heart in it, pulsating.

For the first time, Tara smiles at him. Her teeth are stained red and the blood begins to ooze from her mouth –

– a hand comes down on Theo’s shoulder, and he immediately whips around and grabs them, slamming them against the wall. His eyes are shining gold, his fangs bared.

“Jesus, dude,” Liam says, clearly as caught off guard as Theo is.

Theo exhales and releases his grip on Liam, who smooths out his hoodie before pointing to the counter. “Your drink’s ready.”

Theo looks over to the barista, who appears completely unfazed by his outburst. Definitely dead inside, then. He collects his drink and downs half of it in one gulp, because he needs this caffeine rush to kick in as soon as possible.

Liam is still watching him, and he looks entirely too concerned for Theo’s liking.

“What’re you doing here, Liam?”

“Just some last-minute cramming for a test tomorrow. Need a caffeine fix.” Then he literally scratches his chin in contemplation. “Or is it today…?”

Maybe everyone’s a little dysfunctional at three in the morning.

Theo's feeling a little more awake already, the caffeine overdose doing its job. He goes to the nearest table and pulls a chair out to sit down, then thinks better of it and goes to the door instead.

"Theo!" Liam calls, and he turns around. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving? Thought that would be pretty obvious." He doesn't want to deal with Liam right now; doesn't know  _how_  to deal with him or the hurt expression that fleetingly crosses his face. He just wants to be left alone.

"You don't need to use the asshole act on me, Theo. There's nobody else here."

"What act?" Theo scoffs, his feet betraying him and taking him over to Liam. "Have you forgotten who I am? What I'm capable of?"

Liam huffs in frustration but quickly schools himself, looking into Theo's eyes with something entirely too close to pity for his liking. Then, "I know you're sleeping in your truck, Theo."

He feels like he's been caught out. It's ridiculous because he knew that Liam knows, that they  _all_  know. With the amount of times he gets moved on by the Sheriff's men every night, there's no way he hasn't relayed it to Scott and his pack. But actually having it acknowledged feels like yet another crack in the persona that is Theo Raeken. He doesn't know what Liam expects him to say so he goes with nothing, walking back to the door.

"You can stay at mine tonight, if you want. The others don't have to know."

Theo's -Tara's- heart jumps in his chest and he silently curses it for its betrayal. It's caused him nothing but trouble since the day he got it. He hears Liam's own heart jump in acknowledgement and he doesn't understand what Liam could possibly find appealing about the situation. Despite his best intentions to leave without looking back, he keeps getting drawn to Liam. He turns in the doorway, holding a silent faceoff with the other boy, staring into each other's eyes and both looking for something, anything to break the weird mood that's settled over them.

"Order for Liam," the barista announces monotonely and they both jump. But that's all Theo needed. He reopens the door and is almost out when Liam calls him, stopping him yet again.

"Go get your drink, Liam." Even to his own ears, he sounds weary. The mask is slipping. Before Liam can do anything else to keep him there, he leaves.

He leans back against the wall for a few seconds, gulping in the cold night air. He can't stay for long though, Liam's bound to come outside at any moment and he's not sure he could say no if Liam asked him to stay again. He walks back to where his truck's hidden between some bushes, sitting in the back and sipping away at his drink until dark fades to light and the sun comes up.

 

***

 

He's running as fast as he can, but the corridor is getting longer instead of shorter. He stops and turns around, hoping for an exit that way, but instead what he receives is a flash of sodden hair and agony in his chest as Tara appears from nowhere to reclaim her heart. As Theo falls, Tara smiles as she puts her heart back into her own chest.

He's back in the darkness, in the locked drawer. He feels for the handle, pulling it back and forth desperately but it won't budge. He batters against the door, fear rising in his chest despite his best attempts to quash it. It comes off its hinges and Theo slides out, panting on the ground. Quickly pulling himself up, he leaves the room and turns left, breaking into a sprint down the corridor. He's running as fast as he can, but the corridor is getting longer instead of shorter. He stops and turns around, hoping for an exit-

-Theo gasps for breath as he jolts awake to the sound of banging on his window, more urgent than that of the Sheriff's men. He's sweating and can smell his own fear. Normally he finds it sweet when it's coming from other people, but it's nearly intolerable when it's his own.

"Theo, Theo, it's me, Liam."

Theo glares at him, flinging open the door of the truck and getting out. The sun is high in the sky and Liam's got his schoolbag with him; it must be mid afternoon at the earliest. He rounds on Liam, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the truck, the metal groaning in protest under the pressure.

"What the hell do you  _want_ , Liam?" Theo means to growl it, but instead it comes out as more of an exasperated whine. He’s always at his most vulnerable immediately after waking up, he can’t deal with this.

"I want to help," Liam says around the hand at his throat, surprisingly calm considering the circumstances. Theo slackens his grip slightly and Liam lifts his hand, taking hold of Theo's own and lowering it. Liam inhales deeply, wrinkling his nose as he exhales. "Okay, you are definitely coming back to mine for a shower. You kinda stink, dude."

Now that Liam's mentioned it, the smell of his own fear and sweat hits him again tenfold. He's not sure exactly when he last bathed, he's been so preoccupied with trying to stay awake that pretty much everything, personal hygiene included, has fallen by the wayside.

"Come on," Liam says softly. "Get in the passenger side, I'll drive us back to mine." Theo's too tired, too thrown off kilter by everything that this time he doesn't say no. They both get into the truck, rolling down the windows as Liam starts the engine.

"You don't have a license," Theo points out.

Liam just shrugs. "Werewolf privilege? It’s not like Sheriff Stilinski could really arrest me."

Theo zones out as they drive, and suddenly the truck stops as they arrive at Liam's house.

"You got us here in one piece. I'm impressed."

Liam actually looks pleased with the compliment, smiling as he gets out of the truck. Theo follows suit, trailing behind Liam as he leads him through his house, getting him a towel and showing him where the bathroom is.

"Do you have clean clothes?" Liam asks in that godforsaken soft voice, and Theo averts his eyes as he shakes his head. Frustration leaks from Liam, and although he covers the chemosignal fairly quickly, the evidence is still on his face when Theo looks at him. "You just go shower, I'll sort it."

Theo goes into the bathroom, starting the shower to let it heat up then strips off, leaving his dirty clothes in a pile on the floor. He makes a noise somewhere between a contented sigh and a moan as he steps under the stream of hot water, letting it cascade over his shoulders and down his body. He can't remember the last time he felt so warm.

He allows himself to enjoy it for a few minutes, then gets on with washing himself and towelling off. He knots the towel around his waist, hyperaware that he doesn't have any clean clothes to change into. It kind of defeats the purpose, getting clean just to re-wear dirty clothes. He eyes the pile on the floor; he can smell them over the scent of Liam’s soap that he used. 

He sighs and picks them up, but that's as far as he goes; he can't bring himself to put them back on. Then he remembers Liam's words, that he said he would sort it, and drops them. Opening the bathroom door, he nearly steps on the pile of clean clothes that have been left there for him. Warmth spreads inside him as well as outside as he picks them up and puts them on; they're practically a perfect fit.

He can hear Liam moving around downstairs so he follows his ears -and his nose- to the kitchen, where Liam's sitting at the breakfast bar eating a hot plate of food.

Liam looks up when Theo comes in. "Good, they fit," Liam smiles. "Mom bought them last year and thought I would grow into them. I didn't," he says only slightly resentfully. He motions to the identical plate of food placed across from him. "Come on, sit down and eat."

Theo looks between Liam and the food warily. He's already in Liam's debt but he's not sure he can resist it. He sits down and picks up the fork and knife, about to cut into the food when Liam's heart does a funny skip.

Theo eyes him quizzically. "You've not poisoned it or something, have you? Finally taking your chance to get rid of me?"

"What? No!" Liam splutters, crumbs flying out of his mouth. "I brought you back, why would I go through all that trouble just to get rid of you again?"

"Hmm, maybe because I deserve it?" Theo scoffs, cutting up the food anyway. "It's what I would do if I were you; lull me into a false sense of security, then exact your revenge when you think I'd least expect it. Look at everything I put you guys through, you nearly killed Scott because of me."

"I'm not trying to kill you, Theo!" Liam snaps. "Just... eat it or don't, whatever."

"Then why the hell are you being so nice to me?" Theo snaps back.

"Because you're my responsibility! I brought you back so I need to look out for you, that was the deal. I've been doing a pretty crappy job so far."

"I don't need your fucking  _pity_ ," Theo spits, shoving the uneaten plate of food towards Liam and storming out of the room, ignoring Liam's cries for him to wait. 

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid _.__  Of course Liam's only helping out of a sense of responsibility. He reaches the front door but a pair of arms wrap around him from behind before he can open it. "Liam, if you know what's good for you then you'll let go of me.  _Right now._ "

Liam just tightens his grip and another wave of self-loathing for his chimera status washes over Theo. He knows Liam's stronger than him, that if it really came down to it then he wouldn't be able to break free of Liam's hold.

"I don't  _pity_  you, Theo -Jesus, would you stop squirming and just listen to me?- I  _care_  about you."

Theo goes lax in Liam's hold and the younger boy loosens his grip a bit. "Don't," Theo says, barely audible. “Don’t say that.”

"Don't say what, Theo? That I care about you?" Liam asks. "Because I do. I care."

"You shouldn't," Theo whispers.

"Hey, look at me." Liam twists Theo around so that they're facing each other, and Theo reluctantly looks into his eyes. "You might not think you deserve to be cared for, but you do." Theo can't mask his surprise; it's maybe the single nicest thing anyone's ever said to him, ever. "Come on, you still need to eat." Liam guides him back to the kitchen and Theo lets him, the fight officially having gone out of him. "If it's cold then I can heat it up again."

Theo sits down and eats quietly. It's cool but by no means inedible, and the lack of poison helps. When he's finished, Liam continues his attempt to kill Theo with kindness.

"You're staying in our spare room tonight," he states. Theo opens his mouth to protest but Liam cuts him off before he can speak. "It's my parents' anniversary, they're out of town all weekend. We can sort something out when they get back, but you're staying."

Thank you," Theo whispers. He doesn't trust his voice not to crack or waver or do something horribly embarrassing if he tries to speak any louder.

 

They spend the rest of the evening watching a movie, Liam giving a running commentary all the way through. He seems to realise that Theo isn't up to talking much, and thankfully doesn't ask too many questions. Theo's not sure when Liam became quite so perceptive. Maybe he missed more than he thought, after all.

Far too soon the credits are rolling and Liam yawns, joints cracking as he stretches.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed. Will you... Will you be okay?"

"I’ll be fine," Theo replies, careful to ensure his heartbeat remains steady.

Liam doesn’t look like he believes him, but nods anyway. "Okay, good night then." 

Liam goes upstairs and just like that, he's alone.

Theo listens to Liam go through his nightly routine then settle into bed, silence enveloping the house. Keeping the volume low so as not to disturb Liam too much, Theo idly flicks through the channels to find something to watch. He can't settle on anything for more than a few minutes though, that all too familiar feeling of anxiety creeping into his chest as time goes on.

He makes a pot of coffee, finding everything he needs fairly easily, then settles back down in front of the TV. He sighs as he continues flicking through the channels. How can there be so many channels yet nothing worth watching on any of them?

Then he blinks and there's static on the TV. Theo furrows his brows, confused. Was there a power surge or something? He looks around, and he can't quite place it but something seems... off.

That's when he hears the  _drip, drip, drip_ coming from the direction of the stairs _._

Theo jumps to his feet and runs to the stairs, just catching sight of Tara's sodden hair before she disappears.

Theo's body seems to realise what's happening before his mind catches up, running up the stairs three at a time. 

_No, please no _.__

He barges into Liam's room, hitting the door so hard that it comes off its hinges. That's when he sees his nightmare made reality. Tara is here. In Liam’s bedroom.

She's standing over Liam's sleeping form, oblivious in his bed. Theo snarls and lunges forwards but before he can reach, Tara smiles at him and plunges her hand into Liam’s chest.

" _No!_ " Theo roars and stabs his own hand through Tara’s back. He sees it come out through her chest, already cracked open. He grins maliciously at the sight of her blood, the feeling of it coating his hand. 

Finally. He's finally beat her.

Tara turns her head to face him, that same godforsaken smile on her face. Then she begins to flicker, warp. Long, dark hair is replaced by short, brunet hair. The vengeful smirk of a girl is replaced with the shocked confusion of a boy.

Tara flickers out of existence and the room goes back to normal. Instead, standing with Theo’s hand through his chest, is Liam.

"Theo?" Liam's voice is small, his eyes wide but unfocused, like he hasn't yet processed what's happened. 

 

Then Liam slumps against Theo, his body going slack. 

 

Theo throws up without warning, acid burning his throat as it spews out onto the carpet and mixes with Liam's blood. His hand is still inside Liam's chest, warm where the liquid is pooling around it and dripping out.

_This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening._

Liam’s phone starts ringing on his bedside table and Theo startles.

More acid climbs his throat as he hovers over the accept button, the thought of what will happen to him when he does twisting his stomach into knots. He doesn't have a choice though, he can't fix this himself.

" _Liam? _"__  Scott sounds frantic, bashing around like he’s pulling clothes on in the dark.

"Scott," Theo croaks, coughing to try and clear the acid in his throat. "He’s dead, I've killed him, I don't know wh-"

" _What have you done!?_ " Scott roars down the phone. Theo flinches as he cradles Liam against his chest. " _Where are you?_ "

"At his house, please Scott, please help him, you have to help-"

The phone goes dead, but Theo keeps babbling and sobbing against Liam's shoulder. Impressively quickly yet not quick enough, a hand fists in Theo’s hair, pulling his head back and punching him in the face, hard. His nose cracks and breaks, gushing yet more blood between them and onto the carpet. It startles him enough to look away from Liam momentarily. 

Scott's fully wolfed out, eyes a murderous blood red as he takes in the state of Liam's bedroom.

He pulls Theo's hand out of Liam's chest, blood spraying from the wound before Scott plugs it with his own hand. Theo watches in trepidation as black veins appear all over Scott's body, spreading up his face. They spread up, up, until they reach his eyes, Scott roaring in agony as they turn black.

The very room seems to shake as his roar increases in volume, louder, louder, until the window smashes, glass exploding outwards and into the garden below. Scott's voice splits into different tones, each of equal volume, and the black veins start spreading across Liam's body.

Liam eyelids fly open when the veins reach them, his eyes turning equally as black as Scott's. One of the layers of Scott's voice disappears and Liam starts groaning, quiet at first but becoming louder.

Layer by layer Scott's voice quietens until Liam's the one who's roaring. Then their eyes flash and both boys are thrown back against opposite walls in the room.

For a few agonising, eternal moments there's no noise, no movement, nothing. Theo looks to Liam; the wound in his chest is gone. Scott groans and Theo grabs his hand, pulling him to his feet. Theo wants to shrink when he and Scott make eye contact; as he looks into the piercing yellow eyes of a beta.

Scott shoves Theo away and stumbles over to Liam, pulling him to his chest protectively. Liam groans and opens his eyes fractionally, just enough for Theo to see the alpha red within them.

Scott pulls Liam tighter against his chest, soothing him and running a hand through his hair. Then he levels his gaze on Theo.

"You're done, Theo. Don't leave Beacon Hills. If you do, I'll find you."

Theo nods, resigned to his fate. He looks to Liam, probably for the final time, battered and bruised but blessedly  _alive_ , then leaves the room.

"Oh, and Theo?" Scott says just as he's rounded the doorframe. "If you come  _anywhere_  near him again, I'll kill you myself."

Theo goes outside and gets into his truck, driving to the preserve on autopilot. Sleep comes easily, despite everything that's happened. He isn't fighting it anymore.

 

***

 

It's not Tara, this time.

"You killed me," Liam accuses him, a gaping hole in his chest just big enough for Theo's hand to fit in. "You killed me, Theo."

He knows this is Tara's doing, he  _knows_ ; Tara had thought that she was Theo's biggest weakness, and she was right for a while. But now she's found something, someone, more effective to use against him.

"Please, Liam," Theo begs, backing up a few steps. Liam continues to advance, closing the distance Theo just made up. "I was trying to save you, I thought she was going to kill you."

"You killed me," Liam repeats, and rips his heart out.

That's when Tara flickers into existence beside Liam. They smile at each other like old friends and Liam hands the heart over to her. The last thing Theo sees as he collapses to the ground is Tara putting her heart back where it belongs, into her own chest.

 

He's back in the darkness, in the locked drawer. He feels for the handle, pulling it back and forth desperately but it won't budge. He batters against the door, fear rising in his chest despite his best attempts to quash it. It flies open and Theo slides out, panting on the ground…

 

…He's running as fast as he can, but the corridor is getting longer instead of shorter. He stops and turns around, hoping for an exit…

 

…”You killed me,” Liam repeats, and rips his heart out…

 

“You killed me.”

 

“You killed me.”

 

“You killed me.”

 

“You killed me.”

 

He's back in the darkness, in the locked drawer. He feels for the handle, pulling it back and forth desperately but it won't budge. He batters against the door, fear rising in his chest despite his best attempts to quash it. It comes off its hinges and Theo slides out, panting on the ground.

This time though... this time, he makes no attempt to leave.

It doesn't take long for Liam to appear. He doesn't come through the door, he just materialises; one second he's not there, the next second he is. A puddle of blood immediately starts forming beneath him, spreading across the floor drip by drip.

"You killed me."

Theo exhales and stands up, taking hold of Liam's wrist and bringing it up against his chest. "Just take it, Liam. I don't need it."

"You killed me," Liam repeats, and rips his heart out.

 

Something feels different, this time. The drawer is still pitch black, but there's a sensation in his shoulders that’s new, unfamiliar.

The drawer begins to shake, the metal creaking as he's thrown around in its tight confines. Suddenly there's light everywhere, but he's still being shaken. There's a grip on his shoulders; hands, a person's hands. They're shaking him awake.

"...Theo?" a voice tentatively asks. His eyes fly open, suddenly hyperaware of his surroundings. Of where he is, of who the voice belongs to. He’s in his truck, in the preserve. And the voice…

"Liam?" he breathes, still coming down from the nightmare.

"Yeah, it's me," he smiles. He’s in the truck, pushing Theo’s damp hair back from his forehead. "I guess I should thank you for these." He flashes his eyes, alpha red, and laughs softly.

Theo shudders, taking hold of Liam's wrist and bringing it down to his chest. "Just take it, Liam. I don't need it."

"What? No!" Liam yanks his hand out of Theo's hold. "I'm not going to kill you, Theo."

"Yes you are, that's how this works. You say that I killed you, you rip it out, and you give it back to Tara." Theo grabs Liam's wrist again, pulling it to his chest. Liam resists but Theo continues to struggle, until Liam grabs both of his wrists and pins them against the seat behind him. "Just take it! Take it! I don't need it!" Theo sobs, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Liam releases Theo's wrists and pulls him to his chest, rubbing his back as he holds him.

"I'm not taking it," Liam says, soothing him.

Theo tries to work up the courage to speak, allowing Liam to hold him in the meantime.

"I don't know if I'm awake," Theo whispers.

Liam draws back, holding Theo so that they're looking into each other's eyes. "You are, Theo. You're awake. You're alive. I'm alive. Everything's fine, okay?"

"But Scott-"

"Forget about Scott. I explained it to him; that you were having a nightmare, that you were trying to save me from Tara. Nobody's sending you back there."

So Scott knows about his nightmares now. It was bad enough that Liam knew, even before he knew what they were about. Still, it's a compromise he's willing to accept if it means he only has to deal with Tara when he's asleep, instead of full time.

“How... How are you both adjusting?” To the power swap; the swap that wouldn’t have happened at all if not for Theo.

_Because you killed him._

“It’s kind of weird, being an alpha. I’m a lot stronger physically and I can feel the bonds between the pack more intensely. Scott thinks I’m gonna do a good job, but I’m not sure,” Liam shrugs, much more insecurity behind the words than he’s showing. “Scott says he’s fine, but I think he’s struggling with being a beta again.”

Then Theo asks the question he doesn’t really want to know the answer to, but feels he needs to ask.

"How long? Since it happened?"

Liam gives him that  _look_  again, the one from Starbucks, the one from his house. This time, though, he can distinguish between sympathy and pity.

"It’s Sunday. You've been out here for two days, Theo."

Theo blinks. So it hadn't been his imagination that it felt like he had died more times than usual.

"Come on, get in the front," Liam says, commanding the driver's seat. "We're going home."

Theo complies, zoning out as Liam drives them -still without a license- back to his. He feels somewhat in a daze; he doesn't cry, ever, and it's completely drained his energy.

He lets Liam lead him inside and up the stairs, until they reach Liam's room. They go inside and Theo recoils at the sight of the bloodstain on the carpet.

_You did that. It’s your fault._

"Hey, I'm alive, okay? Don't worry about it."

He lets Liam take off the clothes he lent him before; they're dirty and sweaty after his extended nightmare marathon. Liam coerces him into more clean clothes and into his bed, under the covers. Liam gets changed himself, then opens a medicine bottle and takes some of the contents.

"What's that? Werewolves can't get sick."

"It's Risperdal for my IED. Getting bitten didn't get rid of it; apparently it doesn't work on brain issues," Liam shrugs. "It was a bit of a nightmare at first, actually. Because of the whole werewolf healing thing, the dosage I was on stopped working. Dad had to pull some strings and get some ridiculously strong dosage just to make sure it stays in my system."

"Oh," is all Theo can say. All things considered, he should have easily worked that out by himself. It's just another reminder of how completely shot his mind is at the moment.

Liam climbs into bed, settling himself against Theo's back. Theo can't help leaning into the touch; werewolves run hot anyway, but Liam's body heat just feels so nice and Theo’s been so _cold_  lately.

Liam wraps an arm around his stomach, rubbing his toes against Theo's ankle. "Try to sleep, okay?"

"I'm scared," Theo breathes more than says, so quietly that he's surprised Liam picks it up.

"Of what? Tara?"

"No, I'm... I'm scared that this still isn't real," Theo admits. "That I'm going to wake up back in my truck, or not wake up at all. I'm scared that you're not going to be here, like this."

Liam hums thoughtfully, tightening his grip on Theo. "Is there anything at all that lets you know if you're awake or asleep?"

Theo thinks for a moment, and then it hits him.

"Smell. There's no smell in the hospital when I'm having nightmares."

"That makes this a lot easier, then." Theo hears Liam smile rather than sees it. "Breathe in."

He hesitates momentarily, afraid there will be nothing there. But he forces himself to do it and is immediately surrounded by the scent of  _Liam, Liam, Liam._

"See? Nothing to worry about," Liam yawns. "Sorry, it's the Risperdal. I won't be able to stay awake much longer."

"It's fine. Thank you, though, Liam. For everything."

“Don't worry about it. Sweet dreams,” Liam murmurs, and Theo feels him tense up. “Sorry, that was a really stupid thing to say. I didn’t mean-”

“I know, don’t sweat it.” Liam sighs and relaxes again. “Dumbass,” Theo mutters, and Liam laughs softly.

Liam presses a kiss to Theo’s hair. “You’ll be fine, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Theo desperately wants to believe him.

Theo lays in the darkness, hearing as much as feeling Liam’s breath evening out as he falls asleep. He feels himself starting to slip, too. He trusts Liam, though. He doesn't fight it.

 

***

 

Theo slowly opens his eyes, adjusting to the light filtering in through the open curtains. Liam is still plastered against his back like his own personal heater, sound asleep.

 

Theo slept right through. He didn't dream.

 


End file.
